Thread dispenser with rewind means



July 5, 1966 B. ROSEN 3,259,335

THREAD DISPENSER WITH REWIND MEANS Filed Sept. 25, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet l (III,

Leonard B. Rosen INVENTOR 7 ATTO R N EYS July 5, 1966 1.. B. ROSEN THREAD DISPENSER WITH REWIND MEANS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 25, 1964 INVENTOR Leonard B. Rose/1 )llII-IIIIllH r122 ATTORNEYS July 5, 1966 L. B. ROSEN 3,259,335

THREAD DISPENSER WITH REWIND MEANS Filed Sept. 25, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. Lg onord B. Rosen ATTORN EYS United States Patent 3,259,335 THREAD DISPENER WITH REWIND MEANS Leonard B. Rosen, RD. 2, Jamestown, Pa. Filed Sept. 25, 1964, Ser. No. 399,408 15 Claims. (Cl. 242-1291) This invention relates to thread dispensing and more particularly it relates to a thread dispenser having means for rewinding any excess thread which has been unwound or dispensed from a coil thereof.

This is a continuation-in-part of my prior application Serial No. 393,494, filed August 28, 1964, now abandoned, which in turn was a continuation-in-part of my prior application- Serial No. 351,076, filed March 11, 1964, now abandoned.

The term thread as used herein is intended to comprehend textile thread, string, cord, rope, wire, yarn, various organic and inorganic strands, and other such filamentary materials.

Thread is customarily packaged in some coiled form, such as self-contained coil or wound about a spool or reel. When dispensing such coiled thread, one generally grasps the free end of the coiled thread and pulls it, thus unwinding the coil and feeding off a length of thread which can be subsequently severed. However, after such severing is effectuated, there is a problem in keeping the remaining thread wound in its coiled form. If the end of the thread is merely allowed to dangle freely, it is possible for it to become tangled, snarled, knotted, frayed or otherwise unusable. Furthermore, if the thread is formed of wire or some other resilient material, the inherent nature of the thread will cause it to tend to straighten out and thus unwind from its coiled form.

In the past, there was no ready solution to the problem of thread uncoiling, and the result was that partially used coils of thread often became tangled or became unwound to such a degree that they took up an inordinate amount of space. It is true that packagers of textile threads often provided wooden spools with a notch in one end thereof for severing and retaining the end of the thread, but even though such spools alleviated the problem to some degree, they were not suitable for use with heavier gauge threads which could not be severed or retained in the small notch. Moreover, if the thread happened to work its way free from the notch in the end of the spool, it was necessary to manually rewind the thread about the spool and then re-insert the free end of the thread within the notch.

It should also be recognized that many forms of coiled thread are intended for use in conjunction with needles. For example, textile thread is utilized in conjunction with a conventional steel needle having an aperture or eye therein, woolen thread is utilized in conjunction with knitting needles, and yarn is utilized in conjunction with a crocheting needle. It would therefore seem beneficial to provide a thread dispensing package wherein a suitable needle means is supplied with each coil or spool of thread. There would also appear to be a need for overcoming certain other cumbersome and difficult tasks associated with sewing or thread dispensing such as severing the thread and providing means for introducing textile thread through the eye of a needle, and it would be both desirable and beneficial to provide expedients for performing these tasks in a single, compact thread-dispensing package which could be conveniently and easily used by all homemakers.

It is therefore, an object of the present invention to overcome the shortcomings and deficiencies associated with the prior art, to overcome previously existing difficulties, and to provide an improved thread dispenser.

3,259,335 Patented July 5, 1966 Another object of the present invention is to provide a thread dispenser having means for rewinding dispensed or uncoiled thread.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a dispenser for coiled thread having means for rewinding the free or uncoiled end of the thread back into coiled form.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a thread dispenser having means for preventing the thread from uncoiling except during a dispensing operation.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a thread dispenser which is inexpensive, durable, formed of a minimum of parts, and easily manipulable to dispense thread and to rewind any excess thread which is not severed for use.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a thread dispensing package having a coiled supply of thread, a needle and thread together for performing a sewing operation, and to provide the foregoing in a neat, compact, inexpensive, rugged and easily usable Package.

Other objects, advantages and salient features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a thread dispenser with rewind means in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a transverse sectional view of the thread dispenser taken substantially along line 22 of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURES 3 through 7 are fragmentary sectional views of various modified forms of handles for the thread dispenser;

FIGURE 8 is a transverse sectional view, similar to FIGURE 2, but showing a modified form of thread dispenser;

FIGURE 9 is a perspective view of a portion of the thread dispenser being utilized to thread a needle;

FIGURE 10 is a transverse sectional view of a modified form of thread dispenser;

FIGURE 11 is a perspective view of a modified form of thread dispenser;

FIGURE 12 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 12-12 of FIGURE 11;

FIGURE 13 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 13-13 of FIGURE 12;

FIGURE 14 is a fragmentary bottom view of the modified form of dispenser shown in FIGURE 11;

FIGURE 15 is a fragmentary perspective view of an alternative form of the dispenser shown in FIGURE 11;

FIGURE 16 is a perspective view of another modified form of thread dispenser;

FIGURE 17 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 17-17 of FIGURE 16;

FIGURE 18 is a sectional view, similar to FIGURE 17, but showing the dispenser in inverted form for rewinding of the thread; and,

FIGURE 19 is a sectional view of a modified form of thread dispenser.

In accordance with the principles of the present invention and as can be seen generally in FIGURES 1, 8, 10, 11 and 16, there is provided a thread dispenser generally designated 20, a coil of thread generally designated 22, a handle secured to said coil and generally designated 24, and a rewind means generally designated 26, surrounding said coil.

Referring now to FIGURES 1 and 2, the coil 22 in: cludes a spool 23 having generally planar upper and lower ends nominally indicated as 30 and 32, respectively, and a continuous side wall 34 which defines a cylindrical shape. An axial bore 36 extends through the spool 28 between its ends 30 and 32. The spool 28 is customarily fabricated of wood although it is not limited to such a material and can operate with equal eflicacy if fabricated of metal, plastic or any other suitable material. It is preferred that the side wall 34 be flared outwardly at its ends to form enlarged portions 38 and 40 adjacent the spool ends 30 and 32, respectively.

A supply of thread 42 is wound about the side wall 34 of the spool 28 and extends between the enlarged portions 38 and 40. The thread 42 can be wound upon itself several times to form a coil several layers thick, but the enlarged portions 38 and 40 prevent any loop of the thread from slipping over an end of the spool.

A handle 24 is affixed to the lower end 32 of the spool 28 to provide a means for holding the spool during the rewinding operation. In the embodiment shown in FIG- URE 2, the handle includes a fiat central portion 44 which abuts the end 32 and a skirt portion 46 depending from the central portion. The central portion 44 is secured to the spool end 32 by means of pointed projections 48 which are driven into the spool end. These projections 48 can be pointed pins, nails, or the like and may be formed integrally with the central portion 44 or driven through it from its underside. A plurality of spaced flutes or grooves 50 may be formed in the exterior surface of the skirt portion 46 to provide an irregular finger-engaging surface having improved grippability. It should be noted that the central portion 44 of the handle is imperforate and extends across the end of the axial bore 36, thereby closing it.

The rewind means 26 is formed as a continuous annular band or ring 52 which is mounted upon the spool 28 in overlying relationship to the coiled thread 42. The ring 52 can be fabricated of various suitable materials such as fibre, wood, plastic, and the like. The opening circumscribed by the ring 52 is concentric with the spool side wall 34 but is slightly larger in diameter whereby a small annular space is formed between the interior of the ring 52 and the spool side Wall 34. When the thread 42 is completely coiled about the spool 28 and before any thread dispensing occurs, the supply of thread substantially fills the small annular space. However, even in this condition, the size of the ring 52 must still be sulficient to permit it to be manually rotatable about the spool 28 and axially slidable therealong. As the thread 42 is progressively dispensed, the fit between the ring 52 and the spool 28 becomes looser and the ring can be more easily moved in the selected direction.

An angled slit on notch 54 is formed within the ring 52, as shown in FIGURE 1, and the free end of the thread 42 is passed through this slit. The slit thereby acts as a thread guide to direct the position of the dispensed thread. To perform a dispensing operation, the ring 52 is manually held and the thread 42 is grasped by its free end and pulled through the slit 54. Such pulling on the thread causes the spool 28 to rotate within the ring 52 and tangentially feed out thread 42 through the slit 54. When a suflicient quantity of thread has been dispensed, that quantity is suitably severed from the coil 22. Such severing can be accomplished by use of auxiliary tools such as scissors or knives or can be accomplished by mere manual tearing if the thread 42 is weak enough. In the case of textile threads which are quite thin and weak, tearing can often be accomplished merely by pulling the thread against an edge of the slit 54, but in the case of heavy threads such as wire, auxiliary severing means must be employed.

When a sufiicient quantity of thread has been dispensed and severed, it is desirable to rewrap or rewind any remaining thread back onto the spool 28. To accomplish this rewinding operation, the handle 24 is manually held to prevent spool rotation, and the rewind means 26 is manually rotated. The effect of such rotation is to revolve the slit 54 circumferentially around the spool 28 and thereby coil the thread 42 back around the side Wall 34. To prevent the rewound thread from building up at one point along the spool 28, the ring 52 can be moved axially along the side wall of the spool to thus assure a uniform recoiling of the thread along the entire length of the spool.

Since the central portion 44 of the handle 24 overlies and encloses one end of the axial bore 36, the bore is thus adapted to serve as a needle storage cavity, as shown in FIGURE 2, wherein a conventional sewing needle 56 is housed within the bore and rests upon the handle. To assure that the needle 56 cannot fall or be inadvertently dropped out of the bore 36, a cap means 58 is introduced into the open end of the bore opposite the handle 24. While this cap means can be of various forms which may be suitably engaged within the core, it is preferred that certain ancillary expedients be incorporated into the cap means 58 to enhance its capabilities for operation in combination with the remainder of the thread dispenser 20. To this end, a pair of spaced metal legs so depend from the cap means for frictional engagement with the Walls of the axial bore 36. These legs can be provided with at least one sharpened edge which can be utilized for severing the dispensed thread 42. Moreover, a needle threading means may be provided on the cap means 58 in the form of a small fiat projection s2 which extends from the upper end of the cap. As shown in FIGURE 9, this projection 62 is sized to fit within an aperture or eye 64 of the needle 56, and thus when the thread 42 is folded over the projection and the projection is pushed through the needle eye, the thread 42 is thereby introduced through the eye 64 and the needle 56 is thus threaded.

Various modified forms of handles may be used in combination with the spool 28. In FIGURES 3 and 4, the handles are shown frictionally engaged to the base or bottom end 32 of the spool 28. The handle of FIG- URE 3 has a flat portion 44 which abuts against the spool end 32, an upturned peripheral skirt 66 which abuts against the lower enlarged portion and an integral upwardly projecting peg 68 which fits within the axial bore 36. The handle 24 is preferably fabricated of a resilient plastic material such as polyethylene or similar polyolefin and the frictional engagement between the skirt 66 and the enlarged portion 40, or between the peg 68 and the walls of the bore 36, or between both, is sufficient to retain the handle 24 firmly on the spool 28. The handle of FIGURE 4 is similar to that of FIGURE 3 except no peg is employed and the peripheral skirt 70 extends further over the enlarged portion 40. The exterior surface of the skirts 66 and 78 may be provided with flutes or ridges, such as those shown at in FIGURE 1, for the purpose of facilitating ease of manual gripping of the handle 24.

In the modification shown in FIGURE 5, the handle 24 is formed as an elongated member 72 having one surface which abuts against the spool lower end 32 and having an integral peg 74 projecting from that surface and into the axial bore 36. The handle 24 can be fabricated of any suitable rigid material and is retained in place by means of adhesive material which is interposed between the handle 24 and the spool 28. The adhesive material can be ordinary adhesive matter or high-strength adhesive matter such as superpolyamides of the nylon type or copolymers of ethylene and acrylic acid. A small magnet 76 is shown mounted on the inner end of the peg 74 and this magnet can be used to retain the needle 56 within its bore 36 even in the absence of the cap means 58. Although the magnet 76 has been illustrated in connection with the handle modification of FIGURE 5, it should be understood that it could also be used with equal efficacy in the modifications shown in FIGURES 1 through 4.

In the modification shown in FIGURE 6, the handle 24 is merely formed as a ring 78 which is adhesively secured to the lower enlarged portion 40 of the spool 28. Naturally, a handle of this type cannot be used if the axial bore 36 is to be used for needle storage. The ring 78 may be fabricated of fibre, leather, plastic or any other similar material and the adhesive material may be similar to that utilized in the modification of FIGURE 5.

In the modification of FIGURE 7, the handle 24 is similar to that of FIGURE 2 in that a flat central portion 44 abuts against the lower end 32 of the spool 28 and is retained in this position by pointed projections 48 which extend into the spool. However, the handle of FIGURE 7 differs from that of FIGURE 2 in that it has an integral post 80 which extends from the portion 44 through the spool bore 36 and projects above the spool upper end 30. The upper end of the post 80 is provided with a shaped transverse aperture 82 which can be utilized for threading a needle 56. The aperture 82 can be conically or otherwise divergingly shaped so that the thread 42 can be easily introduced into the larger end and will then pass out the smaller end. The eye 64 of the needle may be juxtaposed to the smaller end of the aperture 82 whereby the exciting thread 42 will pass therethrough to thread the needle. The aperture 82 can also be used for hanging the thread dispenser 20 on a hook or the like for storage purposes.

In all of the previously discussed modifications, the spool 28 and thus the coil 22 were cylindrical in shape and thus the rewind means 26 was formed with a round or circular interior. However, such coils 22 are not always cylindrical and indeed can be formed with triangular, square, or any other polygonally shaped cross-section, and in such a situation, the rewind means of FIGURES 1 and 2 would not be satisfactory since it would be unable to rotate about the coil. Therefore, for use in such situations, a modified form of rewind means 26 is utilized and this modified form is shown in FIGURE 8. The coil 22 is formed of a spool 28 with thread 42 looped or wound about its side wall just as in FIGURE 2, although the cross-sectional shape of the spool may be different. The rewind means 26 is formed of a flat central panel 84 which abuts freely against the upper end 36} of the spool 28 and a skirt 86 which depends from the panel 34 for a distance substantially equal to the height of the spool 28. The panel 84 has .a lateral extent greater than even the enlarged portions 38 and 40 of the spool and, as a result of this, the depending skirt 86 is spaced away from the spool by a finite gap or channel 88. An aperture 90' is formed in the panel 84 in alignment with, and of greater diameter than, the spool bore 36.

The handle 24 for the embodiment of FIGURE 8 is formed with a stem 92 which is suitably secured within the spool bore 36 and projects outwardly through the panel aperture 90. An enlarged portion 94 is aiiixed to the end of the stem 92 in spaced relation to the panel 84. The rewind means 26 is thus axially movable between a lower position whereat the panel 84 contacts the spool upper end 3%} and an upper position whereat the panel 84 contacts the enlarged portion 94 of the handle 24.

The thread dispensing slit or notch 54 is formed in the lower edge of the skirt 86, as shown. When it is desired to dispense thread, the rewind means 26 is manually held and the free end of the thread 42 is pulled through the slot 54. As the thread 42 is pulled and uncoiled, the spool 28 is free to rotate within the confines of the rewind means 26, and even if the spool is irregularly shaped, the channel 83 assures that it will not contact the skirt 86 during rotation. When a sufficient quantity of thread 42 has been dispensed and severed, and it is then desired to rewind any excess thread, the handle 24 is held and the rewind means 26 is manually rotated. This revolves the slit 54 around the spool 28 and causes the thread to coil back onto the spool side wall 34. To prevent the rewound thread from building up at one point along the spool 28, the rewind means 26 can be moved axially toward the handle 24-t0 thus assure a uniform recoiling of the thread along the length of the spool. The stroke or distance which the rewind means can move axially is determined by the location of the enlarged portion 94 of the handle 24. If desired, this enlarged portion can be threaded to the stem 92 and can thus be screwed along the stem either toward or away from the spool 28. In this manner, the stroke of the rewind means 26 can be variably adjusted.

In certain instances, the coil of thread 22 is supplied on a cardboard core with hundreds of feet of thread wrapped around it. As an example, crochet yarn often comes in 450 yard spools. These spools are often too large for ready handling and furthermore, the thread on such balls is generally wrapped angularly rather than circumferentially around the core, thus making rewinding difficult. Accordingly, it is sometimes desirable to use a thread dispenser as illustrated in FIGURE 10 wherein the handle 24 is formed as a housing for the thread supply roll 96. Extending from the handle 24 is a hollow tubular spool member 28 with an axial bore: 36. Thread 42 from the roll 96 is fed through the bore 36 and is wrapped around the exterior of the spool 28. An additional slit 98 may be formed at the upper end of the spool 28 to lock the thread 42 and prevent it from feeding off its supply roll 96 except as desired.

The handle 24 is formed as a hollow housing 1%, preferably fabricated of a transparent material, and is suitably attached to the spool 28 with a housing opening 1G2 communicating with the spool bore 36. In the form shown, a boss 104 surrounds the opening 102 and the lower end of the spool 28 fits within this boss and is retained therein by friction, by adhesive means, or by intermeshing screw threads. One end of the housing is provided with a removable section Iii-6 with a handle 1% to allow the supply, rool to be introduced into or removed from the housing 10h. The housing 1% need not be rigid as shown, and can be fabricated of other suitable materials such as thin plastic film, in which instance the housing would be formed as a flexible bag. The removable section 106 can likewise be formed as a pivotable door or other suitable expedient for allowing communication with the interior of the housing. If desired, several housing members can be interconnected to one another to form a dispenser which holds multiple supply rolls 96 of thread. The dispensing and rewinding operations with this modification of dispenser are exactly the same as with previously described modifications except that the housing forms the handle 24.

Referring now to the modification of dispenser illustrated in FIGURE 11, it will be seen that the handle 24 and rewind means 26 form a mated two-piece housing within which the coil 22 may be disposed. As shown in FIGURE 12, the two pieces may be mated together by an interlocking fit of an annular bead 110 on the rewind means into an annular groove 112 on the handle.

The groove 112 has a greater height than does the bead 110, so the head can move freely within the groove. The pieces 24 and 26 may be formed of a suitable flexible plastic, such as polyethylene.

The coil 22 of thread is mounted within the two-piece housing in the manner shown in FIGURE 12. The rewind means 2 lhas an upstanding side wall 114- with the bead 110 being formed integrally on the upper end thereof. At the lower end of the side wall 114, a plurality of integral resilient fingers 116 project inwardly for a short distance, as can be seen in FIGURES 12-14. Thus, to insert the spool into the housing or dispenser, the two pieces 24 and 26 may be disassembled, or alternatively, the spool may be pushed in through the bottom by deforming the fingers 116 which then elastically resume their original position. On the interior side wall 114 immediately above the fingers 116, the wall is knurled,

'1 grooved or otherwise formed into a plurality of gripping elements 118, as shown in FIGURE 13. These elements 118 grip tightly against the enlarged based end portion 48 of the spool 28 to prevent the coil 22 from rotating relatively to the rewind means 26.

The handle 24 is formed as a cup-shaped tubular ele ment having an outside diameter on its side wall 120 which is substantially equal to that of the handle side wall 114. Thus, as shown, the exterior of the dispenser 20 has a smooth and regular appearance. The groove 112 is formed on the interior of the lower end of the side wall 120. At its upper end, the side wall merges integrally into a top wall 122 having a central hole 124 therein. A slot 126 in the top wall extends between the hole 124 and the side wall, and at the side wall, the slot 128 merges into a downwardly extending slot 138 in the side wall.

To operate the dispenser, the end of the thread 42 is fed through the central hole 124 and then downward through the slots 128 and 130, as shown in FIGURE 11. To dispense the thread, the handle or top piece 26 is manually held while the thread 42 is pulled. As the thread unwinds from the coil 22, the coil or spool rotates, and since the spool is non-rotatable in the rewind means 26 because of the action of the gripping elements 118, the entire rewind means or bottom piece 26 rotates. As aforesaid, this rotation can be accomplished because the bead fits freely within the oversized groove 112.

When a sufiflcient quantity of thread has been dispensed and severed, it becomes desirable to rewind any remaining thread 42 back onto the spool 28. To accomplish this rewinding operation, the handle 24 is manually held and the rewind means 26 is manually rotated to thereby rotate the coil 22 mounted therein. The effect of such rotation is to wind the thread 42 back through the groove 130 and onto the spool 28. To replace the spool, when necessary, the coil 22 can be pushed downward to discharge between the fingers 118.

As a possible alternative construction, the top wall 122 can be entirely eliminated from the handle 24 as shown in FIGURE 15, so the entire top end of the dispenser is open for facile replacement of the coil 22. In such a construction, the spool or coil can be easily introduced through the open top and can be pushed down until the bottom end 40 is gripped by the elements 118. Then, to remove the spool from the dispenser, upward pressure can be exerted through the hole between the fingers 116. Operation of this form of dispenser would be identical to that of the form shown in FIGURE 11.

As an auxiliary attachment which can be used in combination with the dispenser, a cutter plug is shown in FIGURES 11 and 12. The plug can be utilized for severing the thread or wire 42 supplied on the coil 22. As such, the plug 132 has a body with a beveled bottom .134 which can be inserted into the hole 124 in the FIG- URE '11 embodiment or into the axial spool bore 36 in the FIGURE 15 embodiment. A pair of perpendicularly disposed slits 136 and 138 .are formed in the upper end of the plug body. A blade 148 is mounted in the bottom of the slit 136 so that when the thread 42 is drawn down ward through the slot 138, it will be severed by the blade.

Referring finally to another modified form of thread dispenser, attention is directed to FIGURES 16-18. In this form of dispenser, the enlarged upper end 38 of the spool 28 serves as the handle 24. As such, it is not necessary to attach a separate handle to the coil 22 since an integral portion of the coil serves the function of the handle.

The rewind means 26 which surrounds the coil 22 is formed of a tubular member 1 42 having a generally straight side wall which preferably, but not necessarily, generates a right cylindrical configuration. The upper edge 144 terminates abruptly to form an open end at the top of the member 142, while the lower edge merges into an inwardly directed flange 146. On the interior of the member 142, between its upper and lower edges, an internal bead 148 is formed. Preferably, for ease of manufacture, the bead is formed integrally with the member 142, although, if desired, the bead may be formed by a separate band which is suitably adhered to the interior of the member 14 2. Also, it is preferred that the head he made continuous, although it can be interrupted, if desired.

The location of the bead 148 with respect to the flange 146 can be varied to suit the particular characteristics of the coil 22 from which the thread 42 is to be dispensed. However, it is necessary that the bead be spaced away from the flange by a distance exceeding the height of the enlarged lower end portion 48 on the spool. In one suitable form of dispenser which has been tested, satisfactory results were obtained when the bead 148 was spaced from the flange 146 by a distance substantially twice the height of the lower end portion 48.

While not essential, it is beneficial to fabricate the member 142 of a transparent material to permit the coiled thread to be visually observed while wound upon the spool 28. It is, however, necessary that at least the bead 148 be formed of a flexible and elastically deformable material to permit the coil 22 to be easily inserted into and removed from the dispenser 28. The coil is introduced, lower end 40 first, through the open upper end of the tubular member 142 formed by the top wall edge 144. When the end 48 meets the bead 148, manual pressure is applied to deform the bead and hence to permit passage of the spool end. After the lower end 48 passes the bead 148, it abuts against the flange 146 which serves as a seat for the entire coil 22. Meanwhile, the bead 148 elastically resumes its initial configuration. As shown in FIGURES 17 and 18, the entire member 142 and bead 148 are formed integrally of a flexible plastic material, such as polyethylene, which permits ready deformation for insertion or removal of the coil 22.

A slot 150 is formed in the tubular member 142, extending from the upper edge 144 and terminating short of the bead 148. The slot may terminate in a slightly enlarged hole 152 which has a diameter somewhat greater than that of the thread 42 being dispensed from the coil 22. On the other hand, the width of the slot 150 may be even smaller than the diameter of the thread 42 so that such thread cannot inadvertently pass through the slot. This can be particularly true if the member 142 is fabricated of flexible material since, in such an instance, the slot 150 could freely expand when the thread 42 is introduced thereinto.

When the dispenser 20 is disposed in the orientation of FIGURES l6 and 17, it is in a dispensing position. As such, the tubular member 142 can be held in the operators hand and the free end of the thread 42 may be manually pulled. Since the spool or coil is resting freely upon the flange 146, pulling on the thread causes a rotation of the coil. The outside diameter of the body portion of the coil 22 is somewhat less than the inside diameter circumscribed by the bead 148 so there is no contact between the bead and the coil, thus assuring that the thread 42 may dispense freely through the opening 152.

When it is desired to rewind the thread after a sufficient amount has been dispensed and an excess length remains unwound, the dispenser 28 is inverted to the position shown in FIGURE 18. Such inversion causes the coil 22 to drop under its own weight until the enlarged end por tion 48 rests upon the bead 148. Meanwhile, the opposite end portion 38 has projected out of the member 142 and can be freely grasped by one hand of the user, while the other hand supports the dispenser by grasping the memher 142. Then, if the end 38 is rotated while the member 142 is held stationary, this relative rotation causes a rewinding of the thread 42 back onto the spool. Once the rewinding has been completed, the dispenser is again turned back to its upright position whereat it is ready for a new dispensing operation.

If it is desired to provide a feature for nesting of multiple dispensers, a lower skirt 154, as shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 17, may be provided. The skirt 154 may be a continuation of the sidewall 142 beyond the flange 146. As such, the lower edge of the skirt 154 can rest upon the upper edge 144 of the next lower dispenser, when such dispensers are stacked, and the upper end 38 on the spool in the lower container nests within the skirt 154 as shown.

As was the case with th previously described embodiments, the thread dispenser shown in FIGURES 1618 is shown and described in its simplest operative form and without the many auxiliary features which will be apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, it will be appreciated that multiple thread dispensers may be used, with one suitably joined to another. Moreover, any suitable thread severing means can be used in conjunction with th dispenser. Further, auxiliary caps can be used, with knobs on the cap, if desired, as in the embodiment of FIGURE 5.

An additional modified form of thread dispenser is shown in FIGURE 19. In this form, the tubular member 142 is similar to that shown in FIGURES 16-18, except that the bead 148 is eliminated and in lieu thereof, the sidewall is provided adjacent the top edge 144, with threads 156. A closure 158 is provided with compatible mating threads 16!) to enable the member 142 and closure 153 to be threadably interengaged. As shown, the height of the spool 22 is somewhat greater than the height of the tubular member 142, so that the enlarged upper end 38 of the spool projects above the upper edge 144. Thus, when the closure 158 is screwed tightly against the upper end 38, the spool is prevented from rotating and no thread can be dispensed through the slot 150. However, if the closure is loosened, the spool 22 can rotate freely within the member 142 and the thread 42 can be dispensed through th slot 150. When it is desired to rewind the thread, the closure can be removed and the end 38 of the spool can be used as a rewinding handle means. As an alternative construction, the spool height can be less than that of the tubular member 142, but the closure may be provided with an interior depending portion (not shown) to thus depend beneath the upper edge 144 to engage the upper end 33 on the spool.

After reading the foregoing detailed description, it should be apparent that the objects set forth at the outset of this specification have been successfully achieved.

What is claimed is:

1. A thread dispenser comprising:

a spool having a continuous side wall and substantially planar ends;

a supply of thread coiled about said spool side wall;

a rewind means overlying said spool and having a central panel abutting one end of said spool and a depending skirt in spaced juxtaposition to said spool side wall;

said central panel having an aperture therein;

said skirt having a slit therein through which a free end of said thread can extend; and

a handle afiixed to said spool and extending through said central panel aperture;

said handle having an enlarged portion adjacent its end for engagement with said rewind means to limit the movement thereof;

said thread dispensing being effectuated by holding said rewind means and pulling said thread whereby said spool rotates relatively to said rewind means to uncoil and thus dispense thread;

said thread rewinding being effectuated by holding said handle and rotating said rewind means relative to said spool to rewind the thread around said spool;

said rewind means also being movable axially along said spool with said central panel thereby being movable between said spool end and said handle enlarged portion to thus permit said thread to be rewound at variable locations along said side wall.

10 i 2. A thread dispenser comprising:

a coil of thread;

a rewind means having an upstanding side wall and base wall;

said coil being mounted within said rewind means side wall and adapted to rest upon said base wall; gripping means on said rewind means to prevent relative rotation between said rewind means and said coil;

a handle rotatably attached to said rewind means and surrounding said coil;

said handle having a groove therein through which thread fIOITlv said coil can be dispensed;

said thread dispensing being effectuated by holding said handle and pulling said thread whereby said coil and rewind means rotate relatively to said handle to thus uncoil and dispense said thread through said groove; said thread rewinding being effectuated by holding said handle and rotating said rewind means relatively thereto to rewind said thread about said coil.

3. A thread dispenser as defined in claim 2 wherein said handle and said rewind means are attached by an annular bead on one of said parts fitting into an annular groove on the other of said parts.

4. A thread dispenser as defined in claim 3 wherein said annular groove is larger than said annular bead to permit free rotation of said bead within said groove.

5. A thread dispenser as defined in claim 2 wherein said base wall includes a plurality of resilient fingers.

6. A thread dispenser and rewind means adapted for use with a spool having enlarged end portions and a reduced diameter body portion about which thread is coiled, comprising:

a tubular member having a continuous upstanding sidewall;

one end of said tubular member being open and the other end thereof being at least partially closed by an inwardly extending flange on said sidewall;

said open end being of sufficient size to permit insertion of said spool into said tubular member whereby one end of said spool can abut against said flange;

a flexible bead disposed on the interior of said sidewall and spaced away from said flange;

said bead circurrrscribing an opening smaller than an enlarged end portion of said spool but larger than the body portion thereof with said thread coiled thereon;

said bead being delfiormable to permit insert-ion of said spool into said tubular member and serving as an abutment means against which an enlarged end portion of said spool can seat when said dispenser is in inverted position;

said tubular sidewall having a slot therein extending from said open end toward said flanged end; said slot serving as a thread dispensing slot through which thread from said spool can be dispensed;

said thread dispensing being effeotuated by holding said dispenser in an upright position, with an enlarged end of said spool resting upon said flange, and pulling said thread through said slot;

said thread rewinding being effectuated by holding said dispenser, in an inverted position, with the enlarged spool end which formerly rested upon said flange now resting upon said head, and rotating said spool relatively to said tubular member whereby thread will feed back through said slot and will rewind onto said spool body.

7. A thread dispenser and rewind means as defined in claim 6 wherein said bead is also spaced away from said open end.

8. A thread dispenser and rewind means as defined in claim 7 wherein said bead is spaced from said flange by a suflicient distance whereby, when said dispenser is inverted, at least one enlarged end portion of said spool will project beyond said tubular member.

9. A thread dispenser and rewind means as defined in claim 8 wherein said slot terminates short of said bead.

10. A thread dispenser and rewind means as defined in claim 6 wherein said tubular member is at least partially transparent to permit visual observation of the thread therein.

11. A thread dispenser and rewind means as defined in claim 6 wherein said sidewall, said flange and said bead are integrally formed as a single unit.

12. A thread dispenser and rewind means as defined in claim 11 wherein said unit is formed of a flexible plastic material.

'13. A thread dispenser comprising:

coiled thread means;

a rewind means having an upstanding side wall and a base walrl;

said coiled thread means being mounted within said rewind means side wall and adapted to rest upon said base wall;

said rewind means side wall having at least a portion thereof in frictional engagement with said coiled thread means to prevent relative rotation between said rewind means and said coiled thread means;

handle means surrounding said coiled thread means and rotatably mounted with respect to said rewind means;

said handle means having a groove therein through which thread from said coiled thread means can be dispensed;

said thread dispensing being effectuated by holding said handle means and pulling said thread whereby said coiled thread means and rewind means rotate relatively to said handle means to thus uncoil and dispense said thread through said groove;

said thread rewinding being effectuated by rotating said handle means relatively to said rewind means to re- Wind said thread onto said coiled thread means.

14. A dispenser and rewind means for a spool of thread comprising:

a hollow housing having an opening in the top wall thereof;

an upstanding member having a central bore therein;

means coupling said upstanding member to said housing with said opening and central bore communicating with each other;

door means in said housing to permit a spool of thread to be inserted thereinto and removed therefrom;

said thread being removable from said spool in said housing by feeding a free end of thread through said opening and said central bore;

a length 'Olf thread from said spool being wound about the exterior of said upstanding member;

an annular band surrounding the exterior of said upstanding member and overlying the thread wound thereon;

said annular band having a slit therein through which a free end of said wound thread can extend for enabling such thread to be dispensed;

said annular band being rotatable relatively to said upstanding member and being movable axially thereto to rewind any excess thread back onto the exterior of said upstanding member once a dispensing operation has been completed.

15. A dispenser and rewind means as defined in claim 14 wherein said upstanding member has an angled slit formed at the upper end thereof and wherein thread being removed through said central bore can be selectively inserted into said angled slit.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 204,758 6/1878 Rice 242138 2,169,297 8/1939 Smith 223-107 References Cited by the Applicant UNITED STATES PATENTS 398,000 2/ 1889 Pratt. 784,84'1 3/1905 Curtin. 922,893 5/1909 Hawkes. 995,305 6/1911 Tatham. 2,499,130 2/1950 Chase. 3,021,094 2/ 1962 Waranch.

FOREIGN PATENTS 225,706 12/ 192 4 Great Britain.

MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner.

LEONARD D. CHRISTIAN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A THREAD DISPENSER COMPRISING: A SPOOL HAVING A CONTINUOUS SIDE WALL AND SUBSTANTIALLY PLANAR ENDS; A SUPPLY OF THREAD COILED ABOUT SAID SPOOL SIDE WALL; A REWIND MEANS OVERLYING SAID SPOOL AND HAVING A CENTRAL PANEL ABUTTING ONE END OF SAID SPOOL AND A DEPENDING SKIRT IN SPACED JUXTAPOSITION TO SAID SPOOL SIDE WALL; SAID CENTRAL PANEL HAVING AN APERTURE THEREIN; SAID SKIRT HAVING A SLIT THEREIN THROUGH WHICH A FREE END OF SAID THREAD CAN EXTEND; AND A HANDLE AFFIXED TO SAID SPOOL AND EXTENDING THROUGH SAID CENTRAL PANEL APERTURE; SAID HANDLE HAVING AN ENLARGED PORTION ADJACENT ITS END FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID REWIND MEANS TO LIMIT THE MOVEMENT THEREOF; SAID THREAD DISPENSING BEING EFFECTIVELY BY HOLDING SAID REWIND MEANS AND PULLING SAID THREAD WHEREBY SAID SPOOL ROTATES RELATIVELY TO SAID REWIND MEANS TO UNCOIL AND THUS DISPENSE THREAD; SAID THREAD REWINDING BEING EFFECTIVELY BY HOLDING SAID HANDLE AND ROTATING SAID REWIND MEANS RELATIVE TO SAID SPOOL TO REWIND THE THREAD AROUND SAID SPOOL; SAID REWIND MEANS ALSO BEING MOVABLE AXIALLY ALONG SAID SPOOL WITH SAID CENTRAL PANEL THEREBY BEING MOVABLE BETWEEN SAID SPOOL END AND SAID HANDLE ENLARGED PORTION TO THUS PERMIT SAID THREAD TO BE REWOUND AT VARIABLE LOCATIONS ALONG SAID SIDE WALL. 